Getting
Started
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Getting started is easy.
Simply complete the following straightforward steps:
Making a Connection - You can enter the process by meeting with any one of a variety of trained collaborative professionals. These professionals include:
- a Family Coach (neutral)
Click here to learn more - a Financial Coach (neutral)
Click here to learn more - a Collaborative Lawyer -
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Your initial contact will educate you as to the process and help you to identify your next steps.
For a list of local collaborative professionals please click here
O.K. I’m in What’s Next?
Engaging
Your Spouse
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Your Spouse
Invite your spouse.
In order for you to participate in the process, both you and your spouse must be on board. You can invite your spouse to learn about the process and commit to the process in a variety of ways, including:
- inviting him or her to view the Collaborative Practice Simcoe County website or any other collaborative website;
- inviting him or her to meet with a collaborative professional, preferably a neutral; or
- providing him or her with written material on the process. This information can be obtained from your initial contact
He or she gets to choose who to contact first and how to educate himself or herself about the process.
You should discuss your options with your initial contact.
Building Your
Support Team
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Support Team
Identify who you can call upon to guide and support you in this process.
One of the unique advantages of the Collaborative process is that you can select from a range of expert professionals who can assist you with your unique concerns.
Some of the professionals available to assist you include:
- a Family Coach (neutral)
Click here to learn more - a Financial Coach (neutral)
Click here to learn more - a Collaborative Lawyer
Click here to learn more - a counsellor
- a tax accountant or
- a business valuator
A “neutral†professional is one who can work with both you and your spouse to assist you with a defined task. There are great cost benefits to working with a neutral, as you and your spouse can share the cost of a neutral, while each benefits from the neutral’s expertise.
You and your spouse will choose only those team members who serve your needs. However, you will each need your own collaborative lawyer to ensure that you get Independent Legal Advice.
Your initial contact person can help you to identify your needs and select your team.
For a list of local collaborative professionals please click here
You and your spouse will guide how your team and process will be managed.
Maximizing
Your Funding
Advantage
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Your Funding
Advantage
Save money and select your unique funding options.
Cost Savings
Collaborative work is generally far less costly than that performed in the traditional legal context.
Select Your Own Funding Options
You and your spouse can jointly decide on how you want to share any expenses of the process. You may agree to share such expenses equally or in other proportions.
You can agree to utilize cost-efficient neutrals, so that portions of the work performed on your file can be accomplished at a lower, shared cost.
Making a
Commitment
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Commitment
It’s time to sign on the dotted line.
Now you and your spouse are ready to sign an agreement that gives you access to this progressive, team-based, safe and respectful process. This agreement is referred to as a "Participation Agreement".
Your Participation Agreement sets out the guidelines and expectations for the process in brief, readily understandable terms.
The Participation Agreement can be modified to meet your unique needs and circumstances.
Creating a
Secure
Environment
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Secure
Environment
You can be confident that the process will support civility, privacy, the fair and open sharing of necessary information between you and your spouse and personal security.
Privacy - You may have a unique need for privacy - for business, cultural, religious or other reasons. The traditional legal process cannot begin to guarantee your privacy. The Collaborative process is a more secure option.
Security - Your team will help you to identify any concerns regarding physical safety and emotional security. They will help you to structure a working environment that will address your security concerns.
Transparency – You and your spouse will commit to openly sharing all relevant information with each other and with the team.
Civility – All participants in the process strive to operate in a civil and respectful manner.
In identifying your family’s unique context, the assistance of a Family Coach can be invaluable and cost effective. Learn More
Taking Your
First Step
Towards
Resolution
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First Step
Towards
Resolution
Your first step toward resolution generally begins with a meeting.
Meetings - your initial meeting can take a variety of different forms, depending on you and your spouse's individual needs and requests. Your initial meeting could be a full team meeting. You could choose to begin by meeting with one of your neutrals. You could choose an entirely different meeting option. It all depends upon what works best for you.
How Many Meetings - The number of meetings that you will need will depend upon you and your spouse. It will be influenced by how readily you generate required information and how productive you are at each step of the process. Having noted this, Collaborative work is generally more time efficient than that conducted in the traditional legal process.
Goals - The goals of your meetings will be to:
- identify those concerns that are important to you;
- learn about your circumstances and how they impact upon your concerns and goals;
- decide how the team will gather any necessary information; and
- brainstorm to identify solutions to your concerns.
Process - At each meeting, a member, or members, of your team will:
- help you to identify your core concerns;
- assist you in working through and constructively addressing your concerns;
- record any identified solutions and results;
- assist you in identifying your next steps in the process; and
- assist you in identifying workable timelines for the next steps in your process.
Identifying
Your Needs &
Concerns
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Your Needs &
Concerns
Identify what matters most to you.
- Put an end to this uncertainty.
- Help me to return to a calm, secure life.
- Help me to predict what my future will look like.
- Ensure that my children's needs will be met, now and in the future.
- Ensure a stable financial future.
Everyone has his or her own specific concerns and goals.
Your team will help you to articulate what matters most to you and will work with you to achieve your goals in the process.
Getting
the Facts &
Figures
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the Facts &
Figures
Before you can negotiate you will need some basic information.
You are likely experiencing uncertainty, which can be stressful. Knowledge is power and knowledge can be comforting.
A team member, or team members, will help you to identify the information that is necessary for the proper evaluation and settlement of your concerns. You can obtain as much or as little team support as you need in gathering required information.
In gathering and evaluating financial documentation and information, the assistance of a cost-effective Financial Coach can be invaluable. Learn More
Crafting
Solutions
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Solutions
You will obtain results through productive, civil negotiations.
Your team will assist you and your spouse in evaluating the information which you have compiled.
Your Collaborative Lawyer will advocate for you, supporting you in articulating and advancing your goals.
You and your spouse will participate in negotiations that are assisted by your team. The team will help you to brainstorm solutions, overcome obstacles, maintain constructive dialogue, build healthier long-term communications with your spouse and forge a result which will be beneficial and enduring, because it was generated by you and your spouse in circumstances which supported a positive, holistic outcome.
Moving
Forward With
Your Life
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Forward With
Your Life
You can now finalize your agreement and move into your future.
Once you and your spouse have negotiated a beneficial and enduring agreement, you will formalize that agreement, by incorporating it into a binding legal document. This document is called a domestic contract. Your Collaborative Lawyers will help you and your spouse to translate your informal agreement into such a contract. This contract will govern your Family Law affairs, now and for the future, providing you with a clear, confident and constructive framework.
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